


Loosen Up My Buttons

by messofgorgeouschaos



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baker Harry, Falling In Love, Fluff, Lingerie, M/M, Mpreg Harry, Smut, Stag Nights & Bachelor Parties, Strangers to Lovers, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Tattoo Artist Louis, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-24 09:14:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17701568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messofgorgeouschaos/pseuds/messofgorgeouschaos
Summary: The beautiful man opened this bakery about a year ago. He remembered the exact day he came: a glum, rainy morning in the middle of February, which instantly turned brighter the minute he saw him. The man had come in with some paint buckets and tools, and Louis doubted he would be able to fix up the drab place all by himself. But as he walked down the stairs at the end of the day and saw the man standing there in the middle of a gorgeous pink and white shop, clearly proud of his work, Louis fell in love at first sight. If only he knew how to talk to him.Usually, Louis knew how to flirt. He prided himself on it. But every time he looked at the beautiful man, he completely forgot how to form sentences, and there was no way he could go up to him only to make a fool of himself. That was the last thing he needed.Or, Louis owns a tattoo shop called Pretty in Ink, Harry owns a bakery called Rolling Scones, they haven't been introduced, and Valentine’s Day seems like the perfect opportunity to finally talk to the man Louis has been pinning over for the past year. And they both end up with more love than they bargained for.





	Loosen Up My Buttons

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IVY!!! I hope you enjoy this bday/Valentine's gift :') 
> 
> All mistakes are my own since she's my usual beta lol (and I know nothing of strip clubs so all of that is made up). Title is from "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls.

The buzz of the needle was the only sound in the room, Louis carefully going over the design.

“How’s that, love?” he said, wiping over the ink one last time after he put the machine down. Bebe had chosen a beautiful white dove to get tattooed on her, and Louis found his design quite adorable, in his unbiased opinion.

“Oh,” she cooed, watching as he bandaged it. “I love it! She’s going to be so happy when I show her.”

Louis smirked. “I’ll never understand getting something of your partner on you,” he chuckled, “especially something like a tattoo, but to each their own. Do tag me if you end up uploading a picture.”

“Oh, Louis,” she giggled as she carefully poked at the tattoo. “You truly haven’t changed a bit! I’ve been dating her for almost two years now, and I know she’s the one. That’s why I’m getting this as a Valentine’s gift for her, just to prove it. A dove for my Dove.”

Her girlfriend's name was Dove, if that wasn't clear enough. 

“I know,” he sniggered, getting up from his chair. He met Bebe in a chemistry class in uni while she was an exchange student, but they lost touch after she went back to the United States. Having built himself a sizeable reputation after opening his tattoo shop, Pretty in Ink, Bebe ended up there asking for a tattoo, and they happily reconnected in the process. He liked to see what his old classmates were up to, considering he had no plan to become a tattoo artist when he was studying to become a psychologist. “You’ve only told me at least a billion times since you walked in here.”

“Well,” she said as she happily studied her fresh ink, “I just wanted to make sure it stuck. And you, Lou? Any true love found? No one to tattoo yourself over? You were never single back in college.”

Louis’ mind wandered down the stairs, where the beautiful man was probably standing behind the counter. His curls in a bun, wearing his pink apron, hands covered in flour or icing. Yet he didn’t even know his name.

“Nah,” he smiled as he took off his black gloves. “I haven’t had the pleasure of finding love yet.”

“Well as long as you’re happy,” she said as she got up. “You don’t have to go looking for a man. You don’t need to live your life for someone else if you don’t want to.”

 _But I do want to,_  he wanted to say. He longed to come home to a husband, not boyfriend because he already felt like skipping that stage. Coming home together, sharing a meal, snuggling on the couch watching whatever trash they could find on tv, ignore the trash to make out or just fall asleep together, then one of them wakes up and takes the other to their bed, where they fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Yet he had no one to do that with.

“Thanks for the life advice, Bebe,” he said as his smile slowly faded, realizing she left an even bigger tip than anticipated as he rang her up. The surprise on his face must have been evident.

“You're welcome on the advice,” she smiled before heading out the door. “And tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! So use that extra money to go give some love to someone or some self-love for you. Spoil yourself in some way, Lou. Toodles!”

Louis could only stand there fish mouthing, knowing there was no point in answering since she already left.

Self love? Like a dildo? He didn’t feel like spoiling himself. He had enough of those. And he wasn’t a big spender on much things anyway. The adult side of his brain knew the responsible thing was to put that money into his emergency fund, and that’s exactly what he planned to do.

After he finished cleaning up his station and sanitized every surface he could, he felt his phone beep in his back pocket of his jeans. He took it out and swiped, seeing a message from his best friend.

**Liam: Remember tonight! I can’t have my best man missing out on my stag night!**

Louis sighed. The wedding was still a month away, but Liam and Zayn decided to have their bachelor send off the night before Valentine’s Day. “That way we get to share our last Valentine’s as fiancés with a bang,” they rationalized. They had been so busy preparing the final touches on their wedding that Niall had been the one to suggest they spend it at a strip club, and Louis was still a bit surprised that they accepted. Not because a stag night at a strip club wouldn’t be fun, but he’s never met two people more jealous of each other than his best friends. Hell, he was friends with Liam before they met Zayn, and he still remembers the murderous glances Zayn would give him  _before_  they even started dating. It was a healthy jealousy, though, and it never borderlined on anything abusively possessive.

If he found his soulmate already, he knew he’d be the same or even worse than his friends.

But now he can’t imagine them both at a strip club together, having dancers all over them, and them  _not_  having a problem with that. But he knew he wouldn’t miss watching that, so he hurried to close up shop.

**Louis: I may be your best man, but I’m still thinking of switching with Niall. Zayn isn't as much as a bridezilla as you are.**

And it was true. Zayn might be the most dramatic of them all, but nothing compared to the control freak Liam had turned into once they were engaged. Their wedding planner is probably planning to retire the minute their wedding ends.

**Liam: -_- you better have your bum there, Louis.**

He giggled as he put his phone away, loving how easy it was to tease Liam. He grabbed his messenger bag, locked the door behind him, and started to make his way down the stairs.

And as he did every night for the past year, he paused in his usual spot as he glanced down to the bakery that was on the ground floor: Rolling Scones. With a sigh, he spotted who he wanted to see. The man with the curls in a cute bun, baking away behind the counter.

The beautiful man opened this bakery about a year ago. He remembered the exact day he came: a glum, rainy morning in the middle of February, which instantly turned brighter the minute he saw him. The man had come in with some paint buckets and tools, and Louis doubted he would be able to fix up the drab place all by himself. But as he walked down the stairs at the end of the day and saw the man standing there in the middle of a gorgeous pink and white shop, clearly proud of his work, Louis fell in love at first sight. If only he knew how to talk to him.

Usually, Louis knew how to flirt. He prided himself on it. But every time he looked at the beautiful man, he completely forgot how to form sentences, and there was no way he could go up to him only to make a fool of himself. That was the last thing he needed.

And tonight, the beautiful man was talking with another man, who looked older than him. The beautiful man was giggling as the older man leaned over the counter top, clearly flirting with the baker. Even from afar, Louis could tell how rosy the beautiful man’s cheeks were. If he only remembered how to flirt in the first place, then he’d be the one making him blush like that.

“Probably his boyfriend,” he sighed, the sadness settling in his stomach. 

He really had to get over his crush already. He hadn’t even been with anyone since the beautiful man came into his life, and it’s not like he had anyone to complain about it with. He couldn’t tell his friends he’d be pinning over a man who didn’t even knew he existed. They didn't need another reason to tease him, and knowing Niall he'd probably start stopping by the bakery to see what all the fuss was about. 

No. The beautiful man was his little secret, no matter how pointless it was. Especially since said man clearly had a boyfriend, and so much more unavailable now. 

Maybe tonight he’d be able to forget about him. After all, he was going to a strip club.

~

After rushing home and changing into one of his favorite outfits, he took an uber to the club, texting the lads he was on his way.

Eventually, he found himself in front of  _Monsieur & Chevalier_, a high street strip club. It belonged to Niall's cousin, Connor, so they got a good deal for the stag night. He opened it about three years ago, using the money their rich uncle had left him. From what Niall told him, his cousin had a flair for the French baroque period and thus the glam of the strip club was born.

The place was bustling once he entered. The walls were painted black and red, gold chandeliers dimly lit, champagne flowing everywhere. It was like the elephant room in Moulin Rouge and Versailles had a one night stand, and this was the result. There were dancers of all genders on the main floor, money flying all around them as they danced on their poles. The patrons were in their seats, clearly enjoying the show they were given, and that reminded him he had to find his own party.

"Can I help you, sir?” one of the waitresses said as she walked up to him, batting her eyelashes in the process.

 _Thanks, love, but I don’t swing in your direction,_  is what he wanted to say. He smiled instead, opting to go find the reason he was here for in the first place.

“Actually, you can! Do you know where the Malik-Payne party is?”

“Oh, they’re right up those stairs in the VIP area,” she smiled, nodding in the general direction. She walked away before he could thank her, and he didn’t waste any more time finding his friends. He practically ran up the stairs, disappearing behind the red velvet curtains once he reached the top.

The room was large area, with booths along the edge and tables with poles attached to the ceiling spread out across the floor. An open bar was on one side, and at the far end of the room was the main stage, where he assumed the dancers would be coming from. The tables were close enough for dancers to step to from the stage, so they could easily move from patron to patron. 

"Please take one, sir" a voice came behind him, and he turned to see a man holding a tray of Venetian masks and glowing wrist bands. "You must put one on before entering the VIP area, and choose a band for your preferred dancer.”

He first looked at the small note that was near the bands: "Red is for gay, Blue for bisexual/pan, Yellow is for straight, Green is leave me alone." With a giggle, he quickly chose his red band and slid it on.

"And I can pick any mask?"

"Yes, sir. Any."

“Ah,” Louis nodded, scrutinizing the array of masks before him. He chose a featured gold one, carefully putting in on himself before thanking the man. “Can you tell me where the grooms are?”

“They should be in the middle booths, sir,” he nodded towards the tables. Each booth was decorated with red curtains on either side that could be pulled down for some privacy, and sitting in the middle of one was Zayn and Liam, each with “bride to be” pink sashes on them, which he knew Niall had given them and they happily accepted.

"Louis!" He heard. Liam, Zayn and Niall were all sitting where they should be, toasting him with their glasses as he approached, their blue bands glowing on their wrists.

“Hello, lads,” he smiled. “Nice to know you recognized me behind the mask.”

He could tell Zayn was rolling his eyes behind his white one. “You’re the only one who would come to our stag night dressed like that.”

Louis looked down at his outfit. He wore one of his favorite plaid long sleeved Burberry dress shirt, pairing it with some black braces over it and black pants to complement. With his hair styled up into a quiff, and the way the braces pulled up his pants giving an extra boost to his bum, he knew he looked  _very_  good. 

“You said look nice,” he smirked. “So I did.” Even though the dress code said they had to wear black pants at the minimum, and the rest of the guests were dressed in all black, he was never one to follow protocol. He liked to stand out in his own way, and his trusted Burberry button up was the way to go.

More of Zayn and Liam’s friends, mostly from their work, arrived and greeted them as the grooms got pulled around the room to take pictures with various people.

Almost an hour after he arrived, Louis felt himself being pulled by Niall into one of the seats by the stage.

“The dancers are coming out now!” he said, shifting in his chair to try and see behind the curtain.

“Are they the same dancers from downstairs?”

Niall shook his head. “Mostly no. Maybe one or two, but most of these are the ones they hire for the special occasions like this, so regular patrons don’t see them as much. I know some of them, though, by their stage names.”

“Ah,” Louis nodded. Not that he really cared, he just wanted to know the semantics of this club. It's not like he'd ever see these dancers again, especially since they were wearing masks as well.

Once Liam and Zayn were seated in the middle, someone signaled for the music to begin. The lights went out, and the Pussycat Dolls “Buttons” came from overhead. The stage started filling with the dancers as they emerged from behind the curtain, all dressed in intricut, colorful costumes.

They all started moving their bodies to a choreographed dance, Louis marveling at the way they stayed in unison.

_“I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons, babe."_

And that’s when a dancer came in front of him, a red heel gently pressing onto his chest. The dancers had broken from their routine and were now dancing on their own, and Louis had one of them right in front. He followed the leg up, mouth watering as he noticed the assortment of lace they were wearing on top of the stockings. His eyes traveled up until they reached a face, the dancer smirking behind their burgundy jeweled mask. 

Before he could say anything, the dancer took back their leg and moved along, another dancer taking their place.

"Louis are you seeing this?" He heard Niall say. Without turning to him, he simply nodded. 

"Of course I am," he whispered, trying to find the dancer with the amazing legs again. "They're beautiful."

"Not the dancers, you twit," he laughed. "The grooms!"

Louis frowned as he turned to face Niall, who was pointing at their friends, and he could only burst out laughing.

His prediction had come true. Dancers were individually giving Zayn and Liam their own dances, grinding in their laps and all, but instead of each enjoying their dancers, they had these frowns as they looked at each other, clearly jealous that someone else was touching their man. A handsome blonde man was attempting to sit on Zayn's lap as he danced, but Liam's arm kept him from doing so. And he could only assume Zayn was sending a murderous gaze to the poor girl that was dancing in front of Liam. He almost wanted to take a picture of the ordeal, just for proof to send to them later.

The song had ended, and now Fifth Harmony’s “He Like That” came on, and that’s when he spotted that one particular dancer from before. The red dancer had long, chestnut curls, shaping his pretty mask and flowing around him. Since his nipples were allowed to be out, despite this being a strip club, he wasn’t wearing a bra like some of the other dancers, so his nipples must be male presenting. Even if they looked like a decent B cup, in his limited experience of breasts, anyways.

He was dressed in a red corset, the white laces shaping his body well. Black lace panties accompanied the outfit, complete with straps attaching to the bottom on each leg. He was dancing at the other end of the stage, but Louis almost wanted to move seats so he could be in front of him again.

But of course, Niall chose that moment to drag him to the bar, ordering them a multitude of tequila shots. 

"I'm around too many beautiful bodies tonight" Niall said before gulping down one and making a face, "and this bisexual heart can't take it."

About five shots later, Louis was the one almost slumped over the bar, trying not to cry. 

“Niall,” he groaned, sobbing into his arms.

“What’s wrong, Louis?”

“The beautiful man,” he sniffled. “He has a boyfriend!”

“What?”

“The beautiful man!” Honestly, how did Niall not know about this. “He’s so pretty.”

“Who the fuck is that? Who you define pretty is different from who I define pretty. That Canadian singer Shawn Mendes is pretty in my book."

Louis frowned. “Mine is prettier than Shawn." He was. He really was. "He’s the owner of that bakery below my shop.”

“Rolling Scones?” Louis nodded. “And I’d bet you want him below you, too?” Niall asked with a grin.

“Yes!” he groaned. Why couldn't that be possible already? "But he has a boyfriend!"

Niall sighed. "You'll get over him, Lou, and find a real boyfriend that knows you exist so can make your heart eyes at."

 _But I want the beautiful man_ , he wanted to whine, but stopped himself in effort to appear less pathetic.

An hour went by, and Louis enjoyed what he could of his time there. He let a dancer give him a lap dance at one point, realizing that was the most action he had gotten in a year. He left the bar to go mope by the booths, still not having the energy to really celebrate, especially on the eve of a holiday meant for love.

As he was taking a break by the booths, he heard Niall call him. “Louis! You won!”

“I what?” Louis shouted over the music. Beyoncé’s "Naughty Girl" was currently playing. 

“You won a private dance!” Niall grinned. Noticing the confusion on this face, he began to explain. “With it being Valentine’s day tomorrow, Zayn and Liam are treating three guests with a private dance of their own in the rooms. They put your name in the hat, and you won!”

"Really?" He blinked. Well, maybe he was about to get over his crush on the cute baker. 

He glanced over at dancer that caught his attention earlier, who was currently taking a break by the bar.

“Can I have them?” he whispered. Niall followed his eyesight and laughed.

“I’m afraid not, mate,” he said. “Connor told me Fleur doesn’t do private dances like the others. I’ll still ask him, but don’t get your hopes up.”

Fleur. So that was his name. Obviously not his real one, but he liked knowing what to call him now. And he did look like a flower, most like a rose, so the name suited him.

Louis watched as Niall walked over to him. His heart sank a bit as he saw him shake his head. But then Niall seemed to point at him across the room, his cheeks heating up. Did Niall really have to point out who he was rejecting?

Fleur stared at him though, and then leaned over to whisper something at Niall. The Irishman leaned back a bit, as if in shock. They continued to speak for a bit before Niall nodded and walked away. Louis turned back to avoid anything.

“So,” Niall coughed. “He accepted. I don’t know how, or why, but once I pointed you out, he readily accepted.”

Louis flushed even harder. Did Fleur remember him from earlier? He wanted to think so.

“So um. How do we do this?” His heart raced in anticipation, threatening to break his chest.

"Each winner chooses their dancer and then they'll head to the rooms. Lucky for you I already asked Fleur, and he said to meet him in the Rose Room in ten minutes.”

"Ten minutes," he nodded. "Got it."

He figured he'd rather wait in the room then spend his time out here, so he waved to Niall and went to the rooms that were down a hallway near the back of the VIP area. 

Black doors lined the hall. He walked along until he found the one with a rose painted on the front, and the name "Rose Room" in big letters above. He opened the door and peered in, making sure it was empty. Quickly closing it behind him, he went over to the seat he assumed was for him; a decorative wooden chair with a plush velvet seat. It was sitting in the middle of the room, with had a velvet bench lined with pillows circling along the small room. The signature pole was in front of it as well, almost sparkling in the dim lighting.

He looked around, noticing a big sign that hung over the door: “CONSENT IS MANDATORY”. He nodded at it, liking it was there as a reminder. Hopefully Fleur wouldn’t think he was a creep or anything like that. He hoped he didn’t encounter creeps on the regular either, but Niall told him the dancers were well cared for on their business hours, so that helped him relax a little.

Suddenly a beeping sound came from the wall next to the door, and he noticed a tablet was sitting on top of a thin table stand. As he walked over, he noticed a smaller sign that was sitting above it: “Choose three songs for your dancer.”

“Alright then,” he said as he scrolled through the list. 

First, he knew exactly the song he wanted a dance to. DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts”. He heard it on the radio over the summer, and he’d like to see what a private dance to that beat would look like.

Next, he heard a sample of Ginuwine’s “Pony”, and thought it was good enough. He chose it for the second.

And finally, Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love”. Ever since her Grammy performance of the song, he knew that would be a song to see someone strip to.

Happy with his selection, he walked over to the chair again, his nervousness hitting again as he waited for his dancer.

And he doesn’t know why, but he was still thinking of the beautiful man in the bakery. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and he could only wonder if his boyfriend would spoil him like he deserved. Not that he didn’t want to be spoiled as well, but he just felt the need to shower the man with gifts. Box of chocolates, dozens of roses, huge teddy bears, anything that lovesick couples did on this holiday. He wanted that sappy shit too.

With a sigh, he pulled out his phone to look at the time. It was past midnight already, so he guesses a lap dance to start off the day of love wouldn’t be so bad.  

Someone at the door knocked, and he quickly slipped his phone back in his pocket.

“Come in,” he said. The door squeaked open, and Fleur emerged from behind it, a smile on his face, but Louis couldn’t pay attention to that as he watched him close the door. He felt his chest tighten as he saw what the dancer had on now. Gone were the straps and stockings from before, instead a red open fabric was all over his legs, as if he was wearing a pants of them. Fishnets. Lace fishnets. With rhinestones. And on top of that, he was wearing a super short burgundy skirt that barely covered his crotch. He couldn’t even tell if he was wearing anything underneath from this angle.

He still wore the corset from before, but there was something mesh like covering his chest, and concealing his nipples in the process.

Louis swallowed as he found his voice again. “Hi,” he said softly.

Fleur smiled. “Hello, sir,” he said, Louis still eyeing his outfit. “Congratulations on winning. Shall we start?”

Louis could only nod, watching as Fleur pushed some buttons behind a curtain. The lights went even dimmer, and the speakers around started to play the music.

Fleur rolled his body against the pole as he gripped it with both hands, dancing along to the lyrics.

_“I know you wanna see me nakey nakey naked”_

And Louis clenched his fists as Fleur took off his top, exposing his chest. Even though he had already seen it earlier in the night, he groaned as he saw it exposed again. Something about stripping was just… really hot.

_“When I’m with you all I get is wild thoughts”_

As he spun upside down on the pole, the skirt went with the gravity and revealed exactly what Louis dreaded. Gone were the lace panties from before. Now the man was wearing nothing in that area, because the fishnets were crotchless. Nothing but a cock ring around his base, and flashing Louis like he wanted him to combust on the spot.

_“You know this cookie is for the baking,”_

He felt his own cock straining against his jeans as the instrumental part played and Fleur continued to dance along the pole, no longer exposing himself. But now that he knew what was under there, he desperately wanted to see more.

He watched as he swirled around the pole effortlessly, dancing and swaying and doing things Louis never imagined a human body could achieve. Watching him dance was the sweetest torture imaginable, and he didn’t know whether he could survive the next two songs.

Because he was fully hard once it ended, tenting obscenely in his trousers. As it was transitioning to “Pony”, he dug his palm into his groin.

“Hard?” Fleur asked as he took a breath. He was sitting at the base of the pole, thighs opened wide, eyes glassy yet determined through the mask.  

“Yeah,” Louis breathed out. No point in lying when the proof was right there.

“Good,” he smirked. “Stop me any time.”

Before he could figure out what was happening, Fleur swung his hips to the beat of the song as he walked towards him. Just as the lyrics were beginning, he slid his hands over his chest until both of his hands were under his braces, undoing a few buttons along the way. Without warning, he pulled on the braces, making Louis sit up straighter in the chair. And in this new position, Fleur straddled his lap, his cock bobbing dangerously close to Louis’ face. It took every fiber of his muscles to keep his tongue in his mouth and not lick him then and there.

_“I'm just a bachelor”_

Fleur quickly moved to sit on his lap, but his thighs were still in the air hovering as he danced.

_“I'm looking for a partner”_

Louis’s hands were up in the air, clenching at nothing as he tried not to touch Fleur. Because if he did, he knew he’d probably bruise him from how hard he wanted to grab.

_“Someone who knows how to ride.”_

He gracefully sat down on his lap, hard. His cock was probably crying from not being able to see this, but now it was crying from the delicious friction Fleur’s grinding was giving him.

_“Without even falling off”_

His hips ground to the beat, and now Louis was sure was going to come in his pants for the first time since he was sixteen.

“Take it out,” Fleur whispered in his ear as the song continued.

It’s a miracle he didn’t come at that second. “What?” He needed to be sure he heard him right.

“You heard me, sir,” he answered. “If you want, of course.”

Louis didn’t need to be told twice. Normally, he would be embarrassed to be whipping his cock out just like that, but he desperately needed some release after seeing this.

And just as he did, Fleur got off of his lap and went back to the pole, rolling his hips in the process.

_“If you're horny,”_

Louis started stroking himself, watching how Fleur bit into his lip as he saw it.

_“Let's do it”_

Fleur was hanging onto pole, twirling in the air upside down as he landed on his legs in front of Louis, facing away from him.

_“Ride it, my pony”_

Fleur bent over, and Louis had to grip the base of his cock to stop himself from coming on the spot. He was wearing a  _plug_. It was heart shaped, a ruby jewel in the center outlined in gold. A plug. Inside him.

“Fuck,” Louis let out a loud moan. He couldn’t help it any more.

Fleur landed on the floor with a split, shaking his bum to the beat of the song. He edged himself enough so he wouldn’t come yet, but his hand began to shake as he continued to watch.

When the song started to transition into "Drunk in Love", Fleur was standing in front of Louis again, gently pulling on a brace.

“Hey,” Fleur whispered. “Can I ride you?”

Louis gasped. Wet dreams do come true. “Are you sure?” he swallowed. "I don’t want you in trouble."

Fleur shook his head. “I won’t be," he said simply as he got down on his hands and knees to reach for something from under the bench. Once again Louis got an eye full of his plug, and he had to grip the base again to not come. 

Fleur came back up with a packet of lube and a condom. 

Is this something he often did? Louis wasted no time pushing down his jealousy, no matter how irrational it was. What Fleur did with other guests was none of his business. 

Besides, the man was on his knees in front of him now, and that was something much more fun to focus on.

He felt Fleur's fingers on his shirt again, unbuttoning it completley.

“You don’t want any stains on your clothing,” he murmured as he lightly bit a nipple that was revealed. Louis stifled a groan. 

And he watched with a mixture of pure lust and wonder as Fleur put on the condom with just his mouth, transfixed over the way his lips stretched over his cock.

“Fuck,” Louis cursed with a moan. “I’d love to fuck you so good.”

Fleur popped off, his lips shiny from the saliva. "Coming right up, sir."

He stood up, reaching behind him to carefully take out the plug, tucking it away in a cloth that was on the bench.

After squirting the lube on his cock, Louis moaned loudly as Fleur sank onto it, loving how loose yet tight he felt.

He hadn't noticed, since his senses were all honed in on Fleur, but they were already at the midpoint of the song. 

_"Surfboard, surfboard, surfboard."_

And Fleur delivered. He rode him like a professional, his hips and thighs working in perfect harmony as his own cock bobbed hard in front of him.

Louis began to thrust into him, holding him in place by his hips, eliciting a choke from Fleur. Once he felt his warm moans against his ear, he knew he wouldn't last more than a few seconds. 

 _“Daddy, I want you,”_  Fleur sang along to the song, and between the shock of the word and the way he felt his warmth clench around him, he came hard inside of him, gripping both cheeks of his bum.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he spent himself, biting into his shoulder. He felt Fleur clench around him harder, and realized he was coming as well, spilling all over his chest. 

He doesn't remember how he ended up back at the booth, but Niall must have suspected something. 

"So," he smirked. "How was that dance?"

"Personal," was all he could say before taking another drink.

He didn’t see Fleur again for the rest of the night.

~

Harry groaned as his alarm went off, peering at his phone as he quickly turned it off. He mentally calculated the amount of sleep he must have gotten and groaned even louder. He really shouldn't have stayed so late at the club. 

And he shouldn’t have fucked that beautiful patron, but he was really at his wits end. The man had the hots for him, and he was hot for him. Besides, it was the first time he ever slept with a customer, and he wasn’t about to repeat that mistake.

But how does that one Rihanna song go?  _“I may be bad but I’m perfectly good at it.”_  Yeah, he smirked to himself, he liked to think so.  

After taking a quick shower to wipe off the grime from the night before, he noticed how sore his bum was, and blushing at the memory. That was one of the best fucks of his life, and it was a real shame it was only for one night. But that’s just how life is.

Today he had to focus on his Valentine bakes though and had to get there a little earlier than usual. Even though his employees always opened the shop for him, he didn’t want them taking on the extra orders today by themselves.

And he managed to get there just as they were opening the doors.

“Harry!” they smiled, opening their arms for early morning hugs and kisses. “We didn’t except to see you this early.”

“It’s the Valentine rush,” he smiled. “I can’t let my best girls do that alone.”

“Oh Harold,” Jane laughed, waving him off. “A couple of old ladies like us can manage just fine.”

“Besides,” Mary said, a bit of concern in her voice. “Weren’t you working at the club last night? You couldn’t have had that much time to sleep.”

“Yes I was,” he laughed. He didn’t mind them knowing about where he worked some nights, especially since they liked to hear the stories he would bring back from the crazier patrons. “Even if my own mum isn’t in London, she’ll be happy to know I’m being mothered all the same.”

“Mother,” Susan scoffed. “We’re old enough to be your grandmothers, Harry.”

And she was right. When Harry opened Rolling Scones, he sought the business of grandmothers who were looking for a peaceful place to work. In his early twenties, he didn’t feel like working with people his own age, realizing what an old soul he was. He quite enjoyed the company of the older ladies, teasing them when he could or listening to their stories of travel, and he considered them his little family at work. And it was really a rotating pool of ladies, taking either the morning or evening shifts while Harry worked all day. But it didn’t matter who was working, he enjoyed every second of their time with him.

“Are you kidding?” he marveled as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, “None of you look a day over forty.”

“Oh hush, you child,” Mary laughed. “Now how about we stop freezing our arses off and start baking some goods! We have a big order of cookies from that teacher down the street that is going to pick them up during her lunch hour!”

They all agreed as Susan opened the door, letting everyone in. The rest of the morning was spent baking dozens of cookies, cakes, and cupcakes, Harry basically covered in icing with all the decorating he had to do.

While taking his lunch break in the back, he heard the front bell ring. Realizing all the ladies were busy, he cleaned his hands quickly and skipped to the front counter. “Just a minute!” he called out. “It’s probably the teacher,” he said to the girls before pushing the door out, already heading for the box that that housed the cookies.

But it wasn’t the teacher that placed the order. Instead, there was a man, a very pretty man he might add, standing by the counter. And the pretty man with the blue eyes, so blue they looked like iced crystals, was holding a large bouquet of roses.

Normally, Harry wouldn’t be bothered by a pretty man in his shop. He actually wanted to figure out if he was gay and single right then and there. But something about him seemed familiar, and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Hello there!” he smiled, not wanting to be rude. This was a customer after all, and not someone to just stare at all day. “How may I help you?”

“I-um,” the man looked around. “I’d like one of those heart shaped cupcakes that are on that dish there, if you don’t mind.”

“Excellent choice,” he smiled. “We just made those this morning.” He walked over and grabbed the red tongs, carefully taking two cookies and putting them in a white paper bag.

“Oh, I only wanted one,” the man explained.

“The other is on the house,” Harry grinned, hoping his dimples were showing. “A treat for whoever you’re giving those lovely roses to,” he said nodding toward the flowers.

“Oh,” the man looked at the flowers, almost as if he forgot he was holding them. “That would make sense, yeah.”

“Anything else I can get you?”

The man turned to face him again, “Um. Your apron.”

Harry frowned. “My apron?” Was there a big stain on it? He was notoriously clean with it, there couldn’t have been.

“My sister is in culinary school, and I wondered where you got that from since I can’t seem to find pink aprons anywhere in this city.”

Harry smiled as he brushed his hands over his apron. “My mum actually gave me this when I told her I wanted to become a baker. Even got it monogramed on the pocket here,” he said pointing to his name. “So you’d have to ask her.”

The man leaned closer as he squinted. “Harry? Is that your name?”

“Yes it is,” he grinned. “Harry Styles, at your service.”

“Oh? Louis Tomlinson, at yours as well.”

“Louis?” he thought for a moment. “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

The other man giggled, the cutest giggle Harry ever heard really. “That’s probably because I own the tattoo shop that’s up those stairs.”

Harry gasped. So that’s why. “You own Pretty in Ink?” He’s been meaning to go there for ages, but never found the time. Had he known the owner looked like this up close, he would have been bothering him since the minute he arrived in the area.

“Yes,” he smiled. “Pleasure to meet you, Harry. I would have stopped here more often but I never found the time.”

“Well here,” Harry said as he took a doughnut out from the glass and quickly placed it in another paper bag. “Take this as a late welcome gift.”

“You’re too kind,” Louis said, looking at his exposed arm. His rose tattoo was on full display, which is why he liked to wear tops that would show it off. “I’ll give you a small tattoo if you’d like. On the house as well.”

“Oh I couldn’t accept that, Lou,” he answered. “Desserts don’t come at the same price as a tattoo does, and I don’t want you to lose business because of me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he quipped. “I always have free slots scheduled during the week, so if you’re ever free just stop by and I’ll give you something.”

Harry thought for a moment. It wouldn’t be too bad getting a tattoo, but he had to make up to him somehow. “I’ll take you up on it then,” he said with a soft smile.

Suddenly a loud beeping sound came from the kitchen, and they both turned towards it.

“Ah,” Harry sighed. “My buns are ready! Hold that thought, Lou,” he said before disappearing into the back. He hoped Louis might be looking at his own as he walked away too.

But when he got to the oven, he found Mary already taking them out and the others practically shooing him away.

“Go back out there and see if that young man is single!” Susan ordered, pointing a rolling pin at him.

“Okay! Okay,” he raised his arms in defeat as he walked away laughing. He fully intended to go through with Susan’s demands, so he thought up a way to do so.

He opened the door again, finding Louis standing where he left him. His face brightened when he saw him, and Harry’s heart perked at that.

"So Louis,” he said as he leaned over the counter, propping himself up with his elbows. “Those are some pretty roses you're holding. Your girlfriend must be pretty lucky."

"Oh?” he answered as he looked at the roses again. “I don't have a girlfriend. Not even a boyfriend, which is what I'm really after. And I must admit, I’m mildly offended you’d think I was straight," he smirked.

 _Success,_  Harry thought to himself.

“Oh, I knew you weren’t,” Harry grinned, tucking a loose curl behind his ear. “But that was just my way of making sure you were gay and single.”

Because he really hoped he was like himself: desperately gay and horribly single.

“Oh I am!” he almost shouted, startling Harry a bit. “Very much am. Um- are you?”

So he was interested. Fascinating. “As a rainbow and as a pringle,” he quipped with a grin.

The other man laughed, crinkles by his eyes showing. What beautiful crinkles they are. “Noted then.”

Just as he was about to ask for his number, to talk more about his apron of course, Louis cut him off.

“Would you like these roses?”

Harry blinked back at him. “You’re giving them to me?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’d like you to have them.”

No one had ever given Harry flowers before, much less roses, and he tried to keep himself from kissing Louis right then and there.

“Aren’t they for your valentine?” he queried. He wanted to make sure his intentions were clear.

“Well,” Louis cleared his throat. “I don’t have a valentine, and I was kind of hoping you’d take these instead. Unless you already have a valentine…” he trailed off, almost as if he realized that wasn’t something he considered before.

Harry was quick to save him. “No!” he pipped up. “I haven’t got one.”

"Really?" a smile grew on Louis’ face, and Harry couldn’t have been happier that he was the reason for it. “So… you’ll be my valentine?”

Harry nodded. “Happy to accept, Louis,” he beamed.

Louis carefully handed the flowers over, and Harry just cradled them like they were his newborn child.

“You know,” Harry said, not meeting his eyes as he sniffed the roses. “If I had known that tattoo shop had such a handsome owner, I would’ve tried to go up there sooner.”

He really hoped his point was getting across, even if the pretty man just gave him roses out of the blue.

“Well,” Louis flashed a blinding smile at him, “I guess we’ll just have to make up for lost time, eh?”

“I guess so,” Harry giggled. This was already the best Valentine’s Day he’s ever had in his life, and all done by a man he just met. Maybe his life was meant to be rom com after all.

~

Louis was practically bouncing for the remainder of the day. His roses plan had worked perfectly.

He wasn’t feeling all that great in the morning, and after sleeping with the dancer from the night before, he had the full intention of getting over his crush on the baker. But as he passed by a bouquet stand on his way to work, he knew he had to give them to him. And for a plan that was thought up last minute, it was a total success. And now he was sitting at his desk with  _Harry’s_  number on his phone.

Harry. So that was his name all along.

He watched him walk away when he went back into the kitchen, admiring how perky his bum was, and noticing he walked with a bit of a waddle. His heart sank a bit knowing he must have got some last night, but then again, he did as well. They were even, in a way. But he desperately wanted to get to know Harry better. There was no room for jealousy when they weren’t even officially together. They were just officially valentines.

And- oh. The beautiful man was even more beautiful up close. The man had dimples. Dimples on his face, and he wanted to kiss each one forever. There were ringlets of his curls around his face. And his smile just made Louis melt inside. His hair was in a bun as usual, and he couldn’t have looked more prettier.

Louis was going to wait until the end of the day to text him, to not look too desperate obviously, but then he got a text message to his phone, and he felt himself squeak as he saw it was from Harry.

**Valentine: Heyyyy. Are you free later? I might take you up on that tattoo offer. But I’m paying. That’s nonnegotiable.**

Louis giggled, typing his response as he thought of something.

**Louis. Fine. You pay. But on one condition.**

**Valentine: What’s that?**

**Louis: I pay for everything when I take you out to dinner. And I’m free in an hour if you still want it done today.**

Louis chewed his lip as he waitied for the response.

 **Valentine: Hahaha it’s a deal, valentine.** **I’ll be up in a hour.**

And true to his word, an hour later, Harry was knocking on the glass door as he opened it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, love,” Louis said. “Long time no see.”

“I’ve been miserable these past few hours we’ve been a part,” Harry sighed in a dramatic tone, plopping himself on one of the leather couches.

“You’re so dramatic,” Louis chuckled as he walked over with a binder in his hand. “So, my dear valentine, what tattoo would you like?”

“Oh let me see!” Harry carefully flipped through the flash sheets, eyes wide as he ran his finger over each one. “You did all these?”

Louis nodded. “I may have studied psychology in uni, but I always had a knack for drawing. Might as well put it into something I love.”

“Wow,” Harry breathed out. “These are really beautiful, Lou.”

Louis felt his cheeks blushing at the nickname, still not used to it or how quick Harry was to call him that. Seriously. Why did it feel like he’s known him for years and not just a few hours?

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“I want this one,” Harry pointed to a design as he flipped the page. “Just a small one on the side of this finger,” he said as he wiggled his index one.

 Louis glanced at the page. "An anchor?"

Harry nodded. "I love all things nautical really, and I haven't even begun any themed ones like that."

"Which ones do you have?" Louis asked as he got up to start setting up.

"I've got some random ones really," he said as he pointed around his shirt. "Some numbers of my chest, my mum and sisters initials, a random star. I just started inking as soon at I turned eighteen."

"That eager?" Louis chuckled. "I don't like too many tattoos for meself, so I'd rather put my art on others."

"Really?" Harry said as he went to sit in the station chair. "I figured all artists enjoyed getting tatted."

"I'm not so much for the pain of the needle," Louis explained. "But I make do."

Harry hummed as he sat back in the chair. "Okay," he said. "Do me."

 _I'd love to do you,_  was the only answer floating around Louis' mind. 

"Do you?" He cocked an eyebrow. 

"Yes," Harry grinned. "Please."

The next quarter hour was spent with the sound of the needle around the room, both comfortable with the silence. Louis liked to concentrate on his work without too many distractions, but he wouldn't mind if Harry wanted to talk. 

Louis constantly looked up to check on him though, and noticed Harry's pupils were fully dilated. The man enjoyed a little pain he figured.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Harry breathed out.

"Tell me about your family," Louis asked nonchalantly. He had to keep him talking better, and why not fish for some information in the meantime. 

"I've got an older sister, Gemma," he said. "She lives with her boyfriend, but she's in London as well. So I get to meet up with her now and then. My mum lives back in Holmes Chapel with her husband, but we see each other a few times a month."

"That's nice," Louis replied. "So just you and your sister?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled. "We grew up close just being the two of us, especially being there for our mum when she wanted to remarry."

"Oh? My own mum remarried recently as well, and that's when I got my first little brother."

"First? How many siblings do you have?"

"I've got five sisters and one brother," he grinned. "I'm the oldest of them all."

"Your mum had seven?" He gasped. "Well that's just goals right there. I always wanted a family that big."

"Really?" Louis smiled. He wouldn't mind introducing Harry to his family soon, especially since it was only a matter of time before Lottie or Fiz found out about him. 

And the man wanted a large family, which was exactly what Louis planned for his future as well. They really were meant to be.

“I’ll have you meet my friends soon,” he said, remembering they hadn’t talked about them yet. “Two of them are getting married in a few weeks and they’ve been waiting for this day for years at this point.”

“Years?” Harry hummed. “You’ve known them for that long?”

"I’ve known them since our first years at uni, and now I’m serving as best man for their wedding, besides Niall of course,” he paused as he tried to calculate how long ago it was, “I actually knew Liam before we met Zayn. Niall was my roommate; just a grumpy Irish fellow who has a big heart. We were out at the pubs one Friday night, just blowing off some steam, when Liam spotted Zayn across the room. I think he fell in love on the spot, calling him his soulmate and all that. They started dating, and Niall and I have been their fourth wheels ever since.”

“You think Zayn and Liam are soulmates?”

“They are,” Louis nodded. “Only soulmates would end up proposing on the same day to each other.”

“Really?” Harry laughed. “Do tell.”

“Well,” Louis began. “Niall was helping Liam propose, and I was helping Zayn. We didn’t think to consult with each other, so that might have helped avoid it. But I think it turned out well. Liam took Zayn on a scavenger hunt that ended at the pub where they first met with Liam on one knee, and while Zayn was sobbing, he remembered he was going to propose later that night over dinner. They proved how in sync they are by literally choosing the same day to propose on.”

“That sounds so lovely,” Harry thought aloud. “Where are they getting married?”

“A hotel here in London. They wanted to go out all out for their honeymoon in the Bahamas, so they kept their wedding fairly simple and small.”

“And you’re the best man for Liam, right?”

“Because of a coin flip,” he laughed. “They couldn’t decide which one of us to choose, so we chose for them by flipping a coin.”

“That figures,” Harry giggled. “I’ll be happy to meet them someday.”

Louis turned off the gun, admiring his work. The little anchor looked perfectly perched on his finger. 

"Do you like it?"

"I love it, Lou," he whispered. Harry was looking at the new ink with such wonder, and Louis felt his heart melting. He wondered if he’d find the same love Zayn and Liam had, soulmates and all. But he felt like his heart was already telling him the answer.

 _I think I may love you,_  Louis wanted to answer. 

~

A few weeks went by, and Harry and Louis didn’t stop texting for a minute if they were a part. Even Niall started to notice, teasing him about having a boyfriend.

“I told you I didn’t need to get over him,” Louis stuck his tongue out. “Because now I will get under him.”

Louis did take him out to dinner eventually, talking and laughing the night away, furthering Louis’ belief that their souls already met in a past life. Everything felt too familiar when he was around Harry, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

One night after work, he stopped by the bakery as he usually did. He said goodbye to the evening shift ladies as they made their way home, wishing them safe travels.

“Do you know where Harry is?” he asked Deborah.

“Oh he’s in the bathroom, deary,” she said with a shake to her head. “He must have caught a stomach bug or something, he’s been throwing up all day!”

Louis frowned. “He has?” Why didn’t Harry mention it to him?

He waited near the counter, knowing Harry wouldn’t want him to barge into the bathroom just willy nilly.

Eventually he did emerge from the back, looking surprised to see him standing there.

“Louis?” a smile grew on his face. “I didn’t expect you here so early.”

“My last appointment had a late cancellation,” he said as he pulled him into a hug, “so I thought I’d come down to see you.”

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“But Harry,” he warned, pulling back to face him. “Deborah told me you’ve been sick all day? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Harry’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Lou. I knew you had a busy day with appointments, and I didn’t want to worry you.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Louis said with a head shake. “I would have gone to buy you some medicine on my break. Tell me next time, yeah?”

“Okay,” Harry sniffled against his shoulder, going back into the hug. “Oh!” he jumped, startling them both.

“What’s wrong now?”

Harry didn’t explain as he rushed back inside the kitchen.

“Shit!” Louis heard him curse.

“Harry?” he called out nervously.

“The dates are wrong on this order,” Harry murmured, coming out with a paper in his hand. “They need these cakes for the fifteenth of March, not the twenty fifth.”

“Isn’t tomorrow the fifteenth?”

“Yeah,” Harry sighed. “I’m going to have to cancel it. All the girls have left, and there’s no way I can get these done by myself.”

Louis thought for a moment. “Can you get them done with one pair of extra hands?”

Harry blinked at him. “Who are you thinking of?”

“I’ll help you, Haz,” he smiled as he rolled up his sleeves.

“Will you?” Harry beamed. “You don’t have to Lou I can always call-”

Louis put a finger to his lips. “Nonsense. You need help right now, for your business, and I won’t let you cancel that order. So just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Harry took a deep breath, a smile playing on his lips.

“Okay. Follow me.”

Louis was led in to the kitchen, a pretty big one considering how small the bakery looked from the front.

“Have you ever watched _Kronk’s New Groove_?” he asked suddenly.

It was better to narrow down all the Disney movies he _hasn’t_ seen. “I have five little sisters, what do you think?”

Harry giggled. “Just making sure.”

Louis narrowed his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Well,” Harry said as he turned on his Bluetooth speakers, scrolling through his phone as he chose a song. “I was thinking…”

_“We can boogie down, down, upon down”_

Louis remembered that scene perfectly. Kronk and his girlfriend make up by baking together while dancing to this song. That scene wasn’t exactly meant for children either, no matter how innocent they tried to make it seem.

“They clearly made their raisin bread much faster while dancing to this song,” Harry pondered. “So it’s only right that we try the same method as well.”

“They were also banging,” Louis grinned.

Harry gasped. “That' a children’s movie, Lou!”

“Well how else do you think they’re going to get little Kronks? a stork?”

“Oh hush,” he giggled as he threw a pink apron at Louis. “Put this on and let’s get baking! And don’t think I haven’t forgotten that story you made up about your sister needing an apron. She already followed me on Instagram and told me she’s studying to be a lawyer.”

Louis blushed, cursing his sisters for being so nosy. “Guilty as charged,” he shrugged, tying the apron around his waist.

Louis didn’t know the last time he had so much fun. He could tell Harry knew the scene by heart, watching him do the same dance moves as the characters. He joined in the dancing too, doing whatever disco moves he could think of as they danced along to the beat.

“How do you whisk?” Louis asked at one point. “I need you to show me, love.”

Harry giggled as he narrowed his eyes, putting his hand over his as he showed him how to properly whisk. But Louis already knew how to, he just wanted an excuse for Harry to touch him like that.  

Somehow, they got into a mini food fight, throwing the extra ingredients at each other once the cakes were in the oven. It got to the point of chasing each other around the kitchen, until Harry tripped and Louis climbed on top of him, pinning him down at his wrists.

As Louis gazed down on him, his curls soft and covered in flour, his cheeks stained with chocolate, staring into those big, green eyes, he knew what he felt for him. And he knew he was in love. Time be damned.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered.

Harry nodded enthusiastically, and Louis slowly leaned down, pressing their lips together. He felt as if his insides were made of butter, and they were all melting by the heat of their kiss.

And Louis has kissed his fair share of men in life, but nothing compared to how wonderful Harry felt against his lips. Nothing.

“I love you,” Louis whispered. And shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. It was too early to be saying such things, no matter how he felt. But then Harry leaned up and kissed him again, pulling back to say the same words. And everything felt right.

“I love you, too.” And Louis had to keep kissing him, hoping he couldn’t hear how loud his heart was beating, even though their bodies were pressed against each other.

Eventually they sat up again, giggling like teenagers as they blushed and tried to clean themselves. They ended up leaning against the drawers.

“Harry?”

The younger man giggled as he turned his head to face him. “Yes?”

“Will you be my date to my best friend’s wedding?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” he laughed, and kissed him again. Life was truly perfect.

~

A week went by, and it was finally the day of the wedding. Harry arrived in his best suit, looking proud as he saw Louis standing with his friends on their special day.

Louis stood next to Liam, gazing into the crowd in search of his date. He found Harry grinning back at him.

After shedding a few tears and exchanging a few rings, Zayn and Liam were officially married, kissing and laughing as turned go walk down the aisle together.

At the reception later, Harry happily enjoyed the rest of the evening, sitting next to Louis as they sat among his friends. A waiter brought a new wine and glasses, and something suddenly felt wrong. 

“Oh no,” he cursed, almost throwing the glass across the table. “That tastes like piss.”

Louis frowned. “Really?” he reached over to grab the glass, bringing it up to his lips. He took a sip, and glanced over at his date. “It’s fine, Haz. In fact,” he stared at the bottle in front of them, “we had this wine when we went to that Italian restaurant.”

“What?” Harry frowned. He remembered that wine. A fine pinot noir. How could his taste buds now haste such a delicious wine. It must have been a bad bottle. 

"Maybe that stomach flu hasn't gone away yet?" Louis offered, hoping that might have been it.

"Oh," Niall said softly, sitting next to Louis. "How far along are you?" 

"What?" Harry blinked. 

"It's clear you're pregnant, Harry," Zayn said softly. “Louis told me you were throwing up for a few days now.”

"And now your palette has changed too," Liam said.

Harry felt a dread settling in his stomach.

"Come on, Lou, your mum is a nurse," Zayn frowned, turning towards him. "You should know this stuff."

He's right. That wasn't a stomach flu at all. It was the morning and evening sickness. The signs were all there. Now Louis felt like throwing up. 

“When’s the last time you had sex?”

“Liam,” Zayn hissed. He turned towards both of them. “But yes, when?”

Harry blushed as Louis felt the jealousy spring up.

“The night before Valentine’s Day,” he murmured.

“With Louis?” Niall pipped up.

Harry shook his head as Louis’ heart sank a little. Yeah, not with him. Harry made a child that night, and without him.

“Oh,” Liam said. "Okay that's fine. At least you know. You’d be a good few weeks now."

 They all stayed silent, watching Harry react. But he didn’t know how to, so he simply stayed quiet.

“Go take the test,” Zayn said. 

Harry frowned. "Not in the middle of your wedding!" 

"Nonsense," Liam waved his hand, "this is more important. Consider it a gift to us."

"Pee on a stick," Zayn grinned. “Go with him, Lou. Get it over with and see if we’re right.”

As much as he hated to admit it, they were right. This was going to gnaw on both their minds until they knew the result, and there was no point in waiting any longer.

“Come on, Harry,” Louis said as he began to stand up, offering his hand. “I’ll help you take it.”

"I'll go buy you a test from the gift shop," Niall said before sprinting off. 

"You have such nice friends," Harry sniffled. He didn't want to start crying, but he was close to it. Especially now that Louis knew he was possibly pregnant, and not carrying his child. 

Louis took him to the family bathroom, telling him to rest on one of the benches inside. 

"You wouldn't want to stress the baby," he smiled softly. 

Niall came back with the test, wishing them luck before he closed the door. Louis made sure to lock it before walking over towards Harry.

“Okay, love,” he said softly, taking the test out of the bag. “Just pee on this, and then in a few minutes we’ll know the results.”

“Okay,” he answered, looking down at the test. “Can I say something before I do it, though?”

Louis slightly frowned. “Go ahead.”

“You have every right to leave if this turns out positive. We’ve only known each other for like a month now, and I don’t even know if we’re officially dating. But it doesn’t matter because you like me for me and not me with a baby? So I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave. I have no right to ask you to stay because it’s not even your child and I wouldn’t ask you to help raise someone else’s baby and-”

“Harry.” Louis cut him off. “Harry look at me.” The younger man slowly brought his face up, his eyes brimming with tears. “I don’t care. I don’t care who the father is or how this happened. I love you, and whatever you come with. If this baby is coming, then I’m not going to let you go through this alone. I don’t care that I didn’t father them, or that we’re not even officially dating yet.” Even though he already considered Harry his boyfriend since Valentine’s Day, but he’ll just mention that later. “I wanted you to have my babies the moment I saw you, and if this is how it’s starting,” he swallowed as he gently placed his hand over his stomach. “Then I’ll be there every step of the way. I’ll help you raise them, if you’ll have me.”

And that sent the tears running down Harry’s face. “What did I do to deserve you?” he sobbed. “We haven’t even known each other for that long, Lou.” He needed to thank whoever sent him, before Louis was literally an angel on earth. His life wasn’t going the way he planned, but having Louis there would make it better.

Louis pulled him into a hug, holding him tight against him. “I could ask the same thing,” he whispered in his ear, “but when I’m with you, I feel like I’ve known you for centuries already.”

Harry nodded into his neck. “I feel the same. My soul has known yours forever.”

They stayed like that for a few minutes, just holding onto each other.

“Now go take it, love,” he ordered, wiping a few tears of his own. “We’re having these discussions before we even know if the little bean is coming.

Harry nodded as he wiped his face. “Okay.”

Louis gave him some privacy as he did his thing, waiting on the bench and looking around the room. Sitting in a luxury bathroom while in his tux and waiting for a test result wasn’t how he imagined he’d be spending Liam and Zayn’s wedding, but he was with Harry, and that’s what mattered.

The younger man walked over to him after a few minutes, standing in front of him.

“I can’t look,” Harry said softly, handing him the test.

Louis patted the spot next to him, Harry curling towards him as he sat down. Knowing his boy was comfortable, Louis took a deep breath before he looked down.

“Pregnant,” he read aloud. “You’re expecting, Harry,” he said softly.

“I’m so sorry, Lou,” he whispered, fresh tears springing on his face. “I shouldn’t have slept with him. Especially now that I’m with you! I should’ve been more careful.”

“It happened before we met, love,” he said gently. “Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Then he realized something they hadn’t considered before. “Do you know who the father is?”

Louis had a feeling it was that man he saw, even if Harry said they weren’t dating. That didn’t mean they weren’t getting in bed together.

“Was it that man I saw you with the time in the bakery?”

“Oh that was Nick,” Harry said. “He’s just a friend, and I’ve never wanted to sleep with him.”

A bit of relief washed over him, again with the jealousy that didn’t need to be there. But at least it wasn’t that man.

“Then who was it?”

“That’s the thing,” he sniffled. “I don’t know his name. God, I don’t even know what he looks like, Lou! How stupid is this. And I know we used a condom that night, stupid shit didn't work.”

Louis frowned. "Why wouldn't you know his name? One night anonymous stand?"

“No? Well yes. Um…” he sighed. “I should just tell you this. Some nights a week, I work as a stripper at this club.”

“You what?” Now that he wasn't expecting.

“I know I know. You can’t imagine me as a dancer.” Frankly, he was too embarrassed to admit it, but Louis had to know.

“Love, you’d make an amazing dancer. Especially with those legs…” he trailed off as he imagined him in Fleur's outfit. "But go on."

“Well…" Harry worried his lip, "I slept with a client that night. Before Valentine’s Day. And I just remembered he had the most beautiful blue eyes behind his gold mask…”

Louis froze. It couldn’t be… he had a gold mask on when he went to _Monsieur & Chevalier. _But surely there must be other clubs in London that had a masquerade theme for the night.

“I think he was there for a stag night, actually. Maybe I can ask Connor if they had a guest list-”

And that’s when Louis started to cry. It was too much to process at once. Harry had been the dancer from that night. He was the father.

“Oh Lou,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear about this but if there’s a possibility we could get child support-”

“Harry,” he said as he wiped his eyes. “That was me!”

“You?” Harry frowned. What was he talking about?

"That stag night was Liam and Zayn's! You're Fleur!" 

Harry blushed, wide eyed. He knew his stage name. Shit. "That was you? You were my private dance winner?”

“Yes!” he said as he pulled him into a hug. After taking some deep breaths and wiping away the tears, he figured he should explain his own crush and why he took it that far.

“I had a crush on you ever since you moved in with your bakery,” he admitted. “I thought you were the most beautiful man, and I didn’t know how to even begin to talk to you. And then that night, I was thinking of going in to finally introduce myself, but I saw you with a man and thought he might have been your boyfriend. So I went to Zayn and Liam’s stag night hoping to get my mind off you,”

“And ending up getting off with me,” Harry giggled through sniffles, finding the humor of their situation. He had found himself very attracted to that patron from the night, and now he couldn’t believe his luck. It turned out to be Louis the entire time, and now he was the father of his baby. Maybe life wasn’t so bad.

“Exactly,” he smiled. “Then I realized I really did want to get to know you still, so I went into your shop the next day, hoping you’d give me a chance.”

“And I’m glad you did,” Harry whispered, leaning up to kiss him.

There was still something on Louis’ mind, though.

“You want this baby, right? I don’t want you to go through a pregnancy you don’t want, love.” He didn’t even know if he wanted kids to begin with.

Harry nodded. “I’ve been wanting children my entire life, Lou. This isn’t how I planned to start my family but,” he smiled softy, “I don’t mind. I still end up with you, one way or another.”

Louis’ heart melted like butter in his chest, warm and oozing inside. He truly found the love of his life, and he was just a stairway away.

“How did you start pole dancing?” he asked, realizing he never asked and truly wanted to know. “I never really expected the baker I had a crush on to be stripping during the night.

Harry giggled. “I took some pole dancing classes in uni as a way to stay in shape,” he explained. “A girl there told me her boss wanted to hire some male dancers, and the rest is history. I don’t do it often, but it helped me save up enough to start my bakery.”

“Ah,” Louis paused. “Did you sleep with any of your other clients?” He just wanted to settle his curiosity once and for all, not that it mattered. “I’m not judging you or anything like that, just wondering,” he rushed to say.

“Nah,” Harry shook his head, smiling. He knew what he must have been thinking and liked the little jealousy it sparked. “You were the first and only one I did that with. They were just money bags to me. I’m a baker, I wanted their dough.”

“You little minx,” Louis laughed out loud.

“And I guess I’m a butcher too, because I got your meat.”

Louis groaned as he gently slapped his arm. “You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

“Says the one who’s laughing at my jokes,” Harry grinned as he rested his head on his shoulder, looking up at him.

“And I’ll always laugh at them,” Louis said, “because you’re stuck with me for eternity.”

“I don’t mind that at all." They sat like that for a while, just basking in their presence. Suddenly Harry started giggling again.

"What's so funny?" Louis said as he looked down beside him.

“We slept together before we even dated,” he giggled. “So, can we sleep together now that we are?" 

Louis liked the sound of that. "In our suite," he said before kissing him once again. "Let's enjoy the night."

They went back outside after gathering their stuff, Harry washing and keeping the test for later as Louis eyed him.

“It’s a memento, Louis!”

They found Niall was waiting for them in one of the chairs in the hallway.

“So?” he looked between them. “Am I going to be an uncle?”

Louis looked at his boyfriend, clearly eager to spill the news.

“Yes!” they cheered in unison. Niall let out a hoot as he went to hug them both.

“We have to tell Liam and Zayn!” he yelled, pulling them both towards the ballroom.

They found the couple by their wedding cake, getting second servings even though they were feeding each other little bites.

“What happened?” Liam said as he put his plate down, putting his arm around Zayn’s waist.

“Harry has a bun in the oven,” Niall said.

Zayn gasped. “Louis! You’re going to be a father!”

“I am!” he grinned, leaning over to kiss Harry.

“Of course, Louis would help father a Scorpio,” Liam laughed as he shook his head, his eyes crinkling in a big smile.

“And they’ll be the most spoiled Scorpio out there,” Harry giggled, kissing his boyfriend again.

They hurried up to Louis’ suite, thankful that Liam and Zayn had given one to Louis as a thank you for his work in the wedding. Louis wasting no time getting them naked, and soon Harry was on his lap, his tongue down his throat as they rutted against each other.

“One day I’d like to fuck you too,” Harry whispered, his lips gleaming with their saliva.

“I’d love that, darling,” Louis groaned. He leaned down, gently biting his perky nipple, a loud moan escaping Harry’s lips.

“Sensitive?”

“They always are,” Harry grunted. “And now with the pregnancy, even more so.”

They continued that way for a while, until Harry couldn’t control his moans.

“Come on, love,” Louis whispered against his chest. “Let me open you up, yeah?”

“Oh,” Harry murmured. “Um-”

“What?” Louis asked, his brows furrowed as Harry got off his lap.

Instead of answering, Harry simply bent over and pulled back the fabric of the thong, revealing a plug. This time it was a matte purple. A bit of pre-come spurted on Louis’ stomach. Plugs really did something to him.

“That’s…” he trailed off as he continued to stare. “You’ve had that in all night?” He carefully placed his hands on his love handles, pulling him closer until he could sit on his lap.

He heard the man whimper as rubbed his tip against the warm metal. “Yeah,” he croaked. “I put it in once in a while when I dance and thought today would be a good night to use it again.”

“You thought right,” Louis said, taking his waist and gently turning him to fall forward on the bed.

After pulling the plug out, he ate him out for a good half hour, teasing and prodding with his tongue, loving the sounds that his man was making in the process. He didn’t let him come until he entered him, both of them moaning and grunting into the empty room.

As they caught their breath together, Louis shimmed down the bed to face Harry’s mid-section.

"So our child is right here," Louis said softly, kissing the still flat stomach. 

"Yeah," Harry said with a smile.

“This is the best thing to happen, Harry,” he whispered. “I’m getting a child, earlier than I thought I’ll give you that, with the man I love.”

“Do you really mean it?”

“Of course, love,” he smiled wide, placing another kiss on his skin. “It may have happened in a rather unusual way, but I’m happy it did. I’ll never regret going to that club or giving you those roses the next morning.”

“I love you,” was all Harry could answer, his eyes growing watery again.

“I love you,” Louis said, resting his head over his stomach, hoping their child heard it as well.   

~

Bebe walked into Pretty in Ink a few months later, beaming as she saw Harry sitting at the desk.

“Are you his boyfriend?”

“Yes,” he grinned. He stood up, and Bebe’s mouth dropped.

“You knocked him up, Lou?” she squealed as she stared at his bump. He was six months along now, and proudly showing it.

“Not even a hello,” Louis laughed as he emerged from the back room. “Where are your manners, love?”

“Hello,” she mocked, sticking her tongue out. “Now are my eyes seeing correctly? Is your boyfriend knocked up?”

“Yes,” Louis laughed as he walked up to stand next to Harry. “He’s expecting our child.”

Harry was on a paternity leave, but it wasn’t self-imposed in the slightest. The ladies from his bakery, with the help of Louis, convinced Harry to take more hours off from the bakery while he was growing. “I don’t want any stress on you or Aurora,” Louis explained. “So just stay home and rest while you can, love.”

But of course, Harry couldn’t stay put, and ended up spending his days with Louis in his shop, helping around with anything he could do while sitting.

He also had to quit his job at _Monsieur & Chevalier_, Connor very understanding of the circumstances. He offered to give him a job in the future as well, if he still felt like dancing once the baby came. Harry was still deciding whether to take up his offer, but he knew he had to make the decision once Aurora came.

“Congratulations!” she squealed. She glanced down at Harry’s hand, and gasped. “Is that a ring I spot?”

Louis had proposed a full week ago at the restaurant from their first date, both of them in tears as Harry accepted, and even proposed to him as well later that night, both of them loving the fact they chose the same day to propose. Soulmate shit, as Niall called it.

“Oh how lovely,” she cooed as Harry brought it up to her. “Wait” she turned Harry’s hand slightly. “Isn’t this tattoo on Louis’ finger too? I swore I saw this on his insta a few days ago.”

“Yes!” Harry grinned. “I had this one done a few months ago, by Louis of course, and he suggested he get the same one on his own hand. Since we’re meant to be and all.”

“Oh Harry,” she laughed. “Louis once told me he never understood why someone would get tattooed for their partner. Now look at him! A matching tattoo with his boyfriend of what, a few months?"

“Louis isn’t much for rings,” Harry explained with a giggle, “so when I proposed to him, I suggested he get an anchor on his finger as well. So I guess he understands now.”

"I understand now," Louis repeated, placing his hand on Harry's bump. He kissed him, rubbing their noses together. 

And when Aurora Tomlinson-Styles arrived on a rainy November evening, Louis truly, truly understood. And Harry did come to the conclusion that his life, was in fact, a rom com. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated :) Post can be found [here.](http://goldbootsandvans.tumblr.com/post/182807041228/loosen-up-my-buttons-by-messofgorgeouschaos)


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